Category: MLB

Angel Obando never made it out of the Dominican Summer League, hasn't been affiliated with a Major League Baseball team for eight years yet, at the age of 27, was one strike from pitching Nicaragua to an epic upset over Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic on March 7.

Instead, up two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the bases empty and two strikes on the batter, Obando saw a dream outcome for Dusty Baker's Nicaragua squad turned into a nightmare by three major league stars.

Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddane Rafaela dunked a squibber into right field - exit velocity, 76.7 mph - to bring the tying run up. San Diego Padres All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts dribbled a ball down the third base line - that struck the bag for a fluke double.

And then, Obando delivered a first-pitch fastball over the heart of the plate to three-time All-Star Ozzie Albies, who with a simple flick sent the ball over the right field wall at loanDepot Park, delivering the heavily favored Netherlands a stunning 4-3 victory that keeps itself alive in Pool D in Miami.

OZZIE ALBIES!

A #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC WALK-OFF HOMER FOR TEAM NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/T2HRyL233M

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Albies got the standard ice bath after crossing home plate, though his teammates were likely too stunned to produce a garish celebration.

So, too, were the Nicaraguans.

Obando cursed into his mitt after Rafaela's ball dropped into right, as if to foresee the coming calamity. Baker, soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, chomped on his toothpick, per usual, in the Nicaraguan dugout.

Yet nine innings of nearly pristine baseball got undone in just three batters, capping a brutal 18-hour sequence for Nicaragua.

They held leads of 1-0 and 3-2 against a Dominican Republic squad that thoroughly outmanned them on paper, and carried a 3-3 tie into the bottom of the sixth in their March 6 opener. But Junior Caminero's home run snapped the deadlock and the dam burst: Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3.

Undaunted, Nicaragua came back just hours later and broke a 1-1 eighth-inning tie on Jeter Downs' two-run homer. Obando, who'd pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against a lineup of five current or recent major league regulars, came back out to close it out.

The first two outs came easily, as a group of Nicaraguan fans gathered behind home plate to video the final out of this upset. Instead, they were left to witness a stunning Netherlands celebration.

And was just one strike, one good hop, away from doing so.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Netherlands downs Nicaragua in WBC with three-run walk-off HR

Grant Holmes took the mound against the Orioles, as the Braves stacked their lineup with most of their regular bats.

Holmes had a mixed day on the mound, as he issued 3 walks in 2.2 innings, something Grant has been prone to in his major league career, but striking out 3 and holding the Orioles scoreless during his time on the mound. He also drew a solid 7 whiffs over his 58 pitches. Tyler Kinley and Dylan Lee each worked scoreless innings in relief with a strikeout each and Kinley issuing a walk. Didier Fuentes came into the game in the sixth and opened some eyes hitting 98 with his fastball, and ultimately ending his first inning with a whiff on 98 above the zone. He did get some defensive help from Drake Baldwin, throwing out a runner attempting to steal second who had never been thrown out in his minor league career. Fuentes came back out for the seventh and was even more dominant, striking out the side and topping out at 98.8 MPH on his fastball. Fuentes drew an impressive 7 whiffs in his 25 pitches. James Karinchak continued his dominant spring, allowing a baserunner on a soft grounder that led to some confusion between Riley at third and Gil at shortstop, but striking out 3 in a scoreless eighth.

On the offensive side, the Braves were pretty quiet for the first half of the game. Michael Harris did draw a walk early in the game, as he continues to look more patient and discerning with pitches this spring than he has been so far in his career. The offense broke out in the sixth, as Drake and Olson started the inning with two hard hit outs and then Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski went back to back with two solo homers as those two have been hitting the ball well this spring.

Austin Riley – Atlanta Braves (3)* pic.twitter.com/S6MoeyOBPN

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) March 7, 2026

Hot prospect John Gil continued to demonstrate his advanced approach, drawing another walk in the eighth. The Orioles were able to tie things up at 2 runs on a bit of a weird sequence in the ninth, giving some Braves prospects a chance to walk things off in the ninth, but the youngsters were unable to muster a baserunner, leaving the game as a tie.

Overall, the Braves generally did what you want to see from a spring game. The bats mostly hit the ball well and the pitchers that are of any relevance looked anywhere from fine to great. We’ll be back tomorrow for another 1:05 PM ET start against the Rays.

The Milwaukee Brewers are back in action on Saturday afternoon as they’ll travel to take on the Los Angeles Angels for Brandon Woodruff’s spring debut.

Woodruff, the only pitcher to not appear this spring of the non-Quinn Priester variety (Priester’s availability to begin the season is in doubt as he deals with wrist discomfort), will get the start for the Crew. DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Grant Anderson, Easton McGee, and Drew Rom are also slated to pitch in this one.

The Brewer offense will take on Grayson Rodriguez, who was traded to Los Angeles from Baltimore this offseason. Sal Frelick bats leadoff and starts in center today, followed by Blake Perkins and Andrew Vaughn. Gary Sánchez bats cleanup as the catcher, with Luis Rengifo and Brandon Lockridge rounding out the middle of the order. Luke Adams bats seventh as the DH with Cooper Pratt and Jesús Made bringing up the back of the lineup.

The Angels are rolling with most of their starters, as a split-squad day means many of their reserves will be in Las Vegas taking on the A’s.

First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.

BIG WOO

📻: WTMJ 620#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/HO9P7656LC

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 7, 2026

Midday vs Milwaukee ☀️

📻: @AngelsRadioKLAA#LAASpring x @FBMSupplypic.twitter.com/cf7P1ZrODl

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 7, 2026

Just time for the barest of Gameday Threads this afternoon. Here’s our line-up, which saw a late change with Crisantes coming in to replace Torin. There were also some shuffling of other positions, like Vargas moving over to 3B and Fernandez covering short in place of Torin:

Lineup Update:

3B – Vargas
2B – Crisantes
C – Moreno
1B – Smith
SS – Fernandez
CF – Barrosa
LF – Vukovich
DH – Luis
RF – Conticello
SP – Drake

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 7, 2026

A busy day of World Baseball Classic baseball is already well under way. Michael Soroka started for Canada in their 8-2 win over Colombia. He went three innings, and allowed a run on four hits, with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. He was followed o the mound by Indigo Diaz, who posted a zero in the fourth, allowing one walk but striking out a pair. Jatoine Kelly started for the Netherlands, as they also won, 4-3 over Nicaragua. He pitched a pair of scoreless innings on one hit, one walk and three K’s. Druw Jones went 2-for-3 with a walk in that game too.

This game is on the radio, through Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Here’s your Guardians’ lineup for the day:

Kwan CF

Valera LF

Ramirez 3B

Arias SS

Manzardo DH

Hoskins 1B

Rocchio SS

Hedges C

Kayfus RF

Cecconi P

Today the Texas Rangers head over to Scottsdale, AZ for a Cactus League matchup against the San Francisco Giants.

Taking the mound for Texas will be LHP Jacob Latz in his latest audition for the fifth spot in the rotation. Opposing him will be LHP Carson Whisenhunt for San Francisco.

The Giants have a telecast which will also be on MLB Network out of market, otherwise you can listen via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Scottsdale Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

The Washington Nationals added two experienced relievers on minor league deals right as camp was starting. Drew Smith and Cionel Perez have been quality big league relievers in the not too distant past, but have seen their stock fall due to injuries in the case of Smith and a dropoff in production for Perez. Now, they will look to bounce back on a team with plenty of bullpen spots up for grabs.

Each have made two scoreless appearances so far, and have looked good. Perez has been particularly sharp. After a rough year, it seems like Perez was in the lab this offseason. His fastball is in the mid to upper 90’s and his breaking ball has looked really sharp. He caught Ronald Acuna Jr. looking on a nasty slurve the other night.

Cionel Perez strikes out Ronald Acuna Jr pic.twitter.com/f1tXPdnTkO

— Kev (@klwoodjr) March 4, 2026

At this point, I would be very surprised if Perez did not make the team. From 2022 to 2024, Perez made at least 60 appearances each season and was a valuable member of the Orioles bullpen. At just 29 years old, there is a decent chance last year was just a blip on the radar.

Perez’s BABIP in 2025 was .391, which is just unsustainably high. The Nats infield might be somewhat problematic for the ground ball heavy lefty, but that batting average on balls in play number is inevitably going to come down. His career BABIP is .303, so I really think last year was a fluke in that regard. 

There are some pitchers, like MacKenzie Gore, who run high BABIP numbers because of the quality of contact they allow, but Perez is not like that. His expected batting average number was low at .213 and he does not allow many barrels. Perez’s ERA is inevitably going to come down, just by getting better batted ball luck.

One thing I am more worried about is his control. He has always allowed his fair share of walks, but that number spiked in 2025. His 16.4% walk rate is simply too high. Perez is going to walk people, but he needs to get that number closer to 10%, which is where he was before 2025.

If Perez does become a contributor, I think he will become a bit of a fan favorite. The amount of velocity he gets from a small frame is crazy. He also seems like a big personality. Perez has long flowing hair and can be quite fiery on the mound. He also had a funny tradition of catching home runs with his hat while sitting in the O’s bullpen. I wonder if he will bring that to DC.

Of course, Cionel Pérez caught Ramón Urías’ game-tying homer. 😅
pic.twitter.com/ieeVoa6MAR

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 26, 2024

The situation for Drew Smith is a bit less straightforward in my opinion. He has thrown the ball well so far, but I do not think he is a lock to make the team out of camp. I certainly think we will see him at some point, but I think he could benefit from some time in AAA.

Smith had not pitched since June of 2024 before this spring. He underwent Tommy John Surgery, the second one of his career. Coming back from a second TJ can be quite dicey. I would not be surprised to see the Nats give Smith some time to acclimate before throwing him in the big leagues.

The 32 year old was an effective reliever for the Mets from 2021 until his injury in 2024. He has missed a lot of time though, which is why he had to settle for a minor league deal. Smith is a strikeout artist who can really spin the ball though.

He has tossed two scoreless innings this spring, but his velocity has been down a tick. However, his fastball has always relied more on its shape than the pure velocity. The shape has been solid. He has been leaning heavily on his slider. The velocity of that pitch is down over 3 MPH, so I wonder if this is a different type of slider than what he was throwing before.

Non-roster invitee Drew Smith #Nationals made a favorable first impression, retiring the side and recording a strikeout during the bottom of the third. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) with one whiff. #sleeperalertpic.twitter.com/OXhQPXvPV5

— Closer Monkey (@CloserMonkey) March 3, 2026

Before picking up Smith and Perez, the Nats bullpen was painfully short on experience. These guys are not sure things, but they have been there and done that before. That is more than you can say for most of the other guys in the Nats ‘pen. They should also be very hungry to prove themselves.

If Spring Training is any indicator, these could be shrewd additions for Paul Toboni. You just never know with relievers though. At this time last year, I was hyping up Lucas Sims and Colin Poche, and we all know how that turned out. Hopefully these guys prove to be better than that, and help the Nats bullpen improve after they were the worst unit in baseball last year.

The White Sox hit the road to face a Mariners team that’s a whole lot better than its spring record, so they may be doing a whole lot of experimenting so far. The Sox can hope the experimenting continues, which is likely given all the players the Mariners have on international rosters at the moment. One problem with that: They’ll start out facing a member of the regular rotation, in Logan Gilbert.

Gilbert, who has given up one run in 4 2/3 innings in his first three spring starts, will face a White Sox lineup that has Luisangel Acuña at second base. This is the second time in a row Acuña has been in the infield, despite the fact he was acquired ostensibly to take over center field after Luis Robert, Jr. was traded for him. Maybe the Sox have figured out what the Rangers and Mets had determined before them — Acuña’s a very good infielder but a weak outfielder. If so, that will have repercussions, good or bad, for several other players.

The Sox aren’t going the usual route of beginning the game with a regular starter, instead beginning the parade with reliever Grant Taylor. Taylor has had a nice spring so far, giving up just two hits and no runs over three one-inning appearances while walking just one and striking out four. He faces a Mariners lineup badly depleted by the absence of 18 WBC players. Yep, 18.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central (for the last time, since Arizona change to DST). CHSN has deigned to carry this game, as has ESPN 1000.

The World Baseball Classic is in full swing now, but Spring Training soldiers on with those left behind. Sure, Harry Ford continued his weird dominance of the event while Shohei Ohtani continued to do very Shohei Ohtani things, and Oneil Cruz still hits a ball harder than anyone when he can make contact. Seth “Quarterrican” Lugo pitched four scoreless innings to lead Puerto Rico to victory, and Michael Wacha had a weird outing in relief for USA during their win over Brazil. But guys like Brandon Drury and Kevin Newman still want to find a way to play in MLB this year, so the games in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues must go on.

Here’s today’s lineup; it continues to be uninspiring while seemingly half the team is scattered around the globe doing mercenary work for their ancestral homes.

Nothing against those guys I mentioned earlier, but when they join with Josh Rojas to form the heart of your order, it’s difficult to expect much of interest to happen.

Kris Bubic will take the mound for his second official appearance of spring. The stuff looked completely normal last time out, so the goal is just to see him continue to build up and not get hurt as we trudge toward Opening Day. Here are the guys on the roster who could pitch after him:

• Sanchez, Aaron RHP
• Way, Beck RHP
• Chamberlain, Christian LHP
• Cawyer, Zachary RHP
• Johnson, Brandon RHP
• Panzini, Shane RHP
• Olivárez, Helcris LHP
• Patteson, Hunter LHP

The odds are heavily against any of these pitchers making the Opening Day roster, though I did attempt to wishcast Olivárez onto the team in my latest roster prediction. But hey, if you don’t want to listen to this extremely Spring Training game, there is still plenty of WBC to watch! Team Italy is taking on Brazil as this post goes live, and Panama at Puerto Rico isn’t far off.

Don’t lose heart, Opening Day is less than three weeks away!

HOUSTON — Tarik Skubal’s teammates refuse to pressure him.

Team USA officials won’t interfere.

The fans have openly shared their sentiments, but Skubal is undeterred.

Barring a dramatic change of plans, Skubal’s first and only appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Team USA will be Saturday evening against Great Britain at Daikin Park in Houston.

He then plans to return back to the team hotel, pack his suitcase, and fly to Florida on Sunday to be back with his Detroit Tigers teammates at spring training in Lakeland.

If USA advances to the semifinals in Miami, as expected, Skubal plans to pitch one spring-training game for the Tigers, and then join Team USA in Miami – but only to be their highest-paid and most decorated cheerleader.

“It’s only a three-hour drive," Skubal said, “I can do that."

EXCLUSIVE: Tarik Skubal talks record contract, Tigers' title dreams

Certainly, Team USA officials would love Skubal to stay, and pitch in the semifinal or final, but that would require Skubal to alter his routine. He certainly isn’t going to pitch on short rest in the WBC, and he still needs to be ready for the Tigers’ season-opener March 26 at Petco Park in San Diego.

And, yes, he also has an astronomical payday waiting that will make him the richest starting pitcher in history, likely eclipsing $400 million – and perhaps close to $500 million.

Certainly, after just being with Team USA for a week of workouts and team bonding, Skubal concedes that he is smitten in his first WBC.

“These games are going to feel like playoff games or World Series games," Skubal said. “Those environments are what baseball is and that's where baseball is kind of going. That's why it is the best sport in the world because it is pretty international.

“When you look around at every pool, you look at all the different games going on around the world, those environments are always going to be pretty special. And that's what makes the game of baseball so beautiful."

The only real flaw of the WBC is the timing of the event. Players have been in camp for less than a month, and pitchers certainly aren’t ready to compete like it’s a postseason game.

“As far as the pitching standpoint," Skubal said, “timing is everything. If they can get the timing right to where it is not in a spring training ramp-up phase, I think that will reduce the risk of injuries for pitching, you know."

That's why why Skubal is leaving town, even though WBC fans have been openly critical about his one-and-done.

“The guys have been cool about it," Skubal said, “but I mean, obviously, like publicly, it’s a little bit different perception. But I think they understand what it means for me to be here. Obviously, I want to be in the room, you know, and that's cool for them to even take that aside and be like, 'it's awesome that you're here.'"

Players like three-time MVP Aaron Judge, captain of Team USA, has effusively praised Skubal for being on the team, condemning those who are critical over his limited role.

“He's got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy's about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason,’’ Judge said. “So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us. ... You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there's a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it."

Says Skubal: “I can’t wait to feel it. It's the first time I've ever been able to wear the USA jersey, and it's going to be special. My family and friends will get to enjoy that. It will be pretty special for everybody involved."

He still plans to pitch in the next WBC and would love to be in the 2028 Olympics, too.

“I'd love to come here and just have a game where I have 100 pitches and be ready to go," Skubal says. “So hopefully the Olympics, they get that at the All-Star break, and they get it right. That way we can send out the best lineup and arms, and they can be at max, full-go. And they don't have to worry about injuries."

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal contract and why USA WBC ace is only pitching once

San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians, March 7, 2026, 12:05 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Goodyear Ballpark – Goodyear, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

---

Saturday baseball on deck. pic.twitter.com/Sn5vHXzDgl

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 7, 2026

Back-to-back home games? It's a beautiful thing.#GuardsSpringpic.twitter.com/waZv8WK1ID

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 7, 2026

---

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads

GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

As one of the more unlikely pennant winners in recent years, the 84-win Diamondbacks of 2023 nearly reached baseball’s peak for the second time in franchise history. While it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the Snakes, they haven’t been back to the postseason since, and they likely face an uphill battle to do so in 2026.

Despite becoming sellers at the 2025 Trade Deadline, the D-backs remained in the playoff hunt up to the final week of the season. While contending in the competitive National League West feels unlikely, they have enough talent at the top to leave things up in the air, though the realistic estimate is likely somewhere around the .500 mark.

Arizona Diamondbacks

2025 record: 80-82 (4th in NL West)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (3rd in NL West)

As mentioned, there was a bit of a fire sale come deadline time for the Diamondbacks last season. In the span of a week at the end of July, Arizona sent off two of their best hitters in Josh Naylor and later Eugenio Suárez to the Mariners, as well as Randal Grichuk to the Royals. On the pitching side, they shipped out veteran hurlers Jordan Montgomery, Shelby Miller, and Merrill Kelly to cap off their mid-season sale.

Despite moving on from a significant portion of the talent on the top of their roster, the D-backs were able to stay in contention nearly through the end of the season, thanks in large part to the talent at the top of their depth chart.

Heading into 2026, their strength remains at the top of their lineup. Their veteran leader, Ketel Marte, is quietly one of baseball’s better position players. After a 2023 campaign that saw him put up a 152 wRC+ and finish third in MVP voting, the now 32-year-old slashed .283/.376/.517 for a 145 wRC+ in his 126 games. He is a star-level player, and perhaps a borderline MVP-type at his best. Looking forward—assuming there are no awkward clubhouse-disrupting incidents—he projects to continue with at least All-Star level production.

Elsewhere in the infield, Geraldo Perdomo was the biggest surprise for the club in 2025, and among the most significant around the league. The 26-year-old shortstop played nearly every game, nearly tripled his career high in homers with 20, and finished as a top-five position player in all of baseball by fWAR with a mark of 7.1. If the D-backs can get even a reasonable portion of that production back in 2026, they’ll be thankful. If they can, he and Marte form one of baseball’s best double play combos.

It doesn’t stop there, either, as Corbin Carroll mans the outfield for the Snakes. Since bursting onto the scene in 2023, the 25-year-old quickly established himself as one of the game’s most talented young players. On the heels of a comparative down year, he locked in that status in 2025, with his first 30-homer season, a 139 wRC+ and 6.5 fWAR. There’s little reason to suspect he won’t continue producing at an elite level in the desert, or perhaps even grow on what he’s established.

The top of the lineup is obviously strong, and the Diamondbacks will look to benefit from a few veteran acquisitions in the lineup as well. The Snakes brought in Nolan Arenado via trade, and Carlos Santana in free agency hoping to solidify positions they sold from at last year’s deadline.

The pitching side of things is slightly less exciting for the D-backs, as they’ll look to get everything they can out of their veteran arms. Zac Gallen, who took a step back after a few years of Cy Young Award contention, enters his age-30 campaign on the heels of a 4.50 FIP and a the lowest strikeout rate of his career. Ryne Nelson enters the season on the other end of swings on an upswing. 2025 saw him manage a 3.39 ERA in over 150 innings, as he’ll hope to build on a career-year to this point.

Veterans Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Michael Soroka round out the projected rotation for Arizona, and likely bring more questions than answers. Rodriguez was not great in 150 innings last year and now enters his mid-30s, Pfaadt is still waiting to take a jump to being a consistent big league starter, and Soroka has an obvious injury history that brings reasonable concern. The lack of certainty makes the return of a re-signed Merrill Kelly and former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (from Tommy John surgery) all the more important for Arizona.

The bullpen also brings about plenty of questions. There are some new-ish names in the fold projected to fill substantial roles out of relief in 2026, with Taylor Clarke and former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga now on board, as well as the return of their veteran closer from 2023, Paul Sewald. The unit does, however, lack locked-in dominant arms in the back end for high-leverage spots.

The Diamondbacks have loads of talent at the top of their depth chart, but middling supplementary players and injury trouble in the rotation lead to plenty of questions outside of the top few guys. Perhaps the biggest barrier to their success, however, is the dominant Dodgers, and perennially competitive clubs in the Padres and Giants.

---

More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

HOUSTON — Joseph Contreras tried to go to sleep Friday night, but it was impossible.

His cell phone kept ringing. Friends were calling. Teammates from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia were screaming. Coaches were checking in. And family members were euphoric.

When he finally fell asleep, he had already received hundreds of text messages, and when he woke up early in the morning, hundreds more awaited.

Hey, when you’re a 17-year-old who has an excused school absence to go get three-time MVP Aaron Judge to hit into a double play in the World Baseball Classic, life comes at you fast.

“My phone has been blowing up," Contreras said. “We have a group chat. It was just going crazy. It was, like, 'Let's go, you're the man!'

“And it was just really exciting and knowing that they were always behind me because this year went on and on, and I could feel the presence of not just me, but my whole support staff."

Contreras, the youngest player in this World Baseball Classic, burst onto the scene Friday night when he entered the game for Brazil to face the most powerful lineup in the world.

He came in throwing 97-mph fastballs, forkballs and changeups, and although he was hardly perfect in his 1 ⅓-inning stint, he had a surreal moment that he’ll cherish forever.

Bases loaded. One out.

Judge at the plate.

And he induced an inning-ending double play grounder that had the entire baseball world buzzing.

“The scouting report was just attack him hard in, and then if we go away on him," Contreras said, “make sure it's up and away. So I was just, like, OK, I'll throw the fastball up and away. After that, it was 1-1, needed to win the count, so I decided to go two-seam hard on him."

Boom, Judge hit a routine ground ball just 77.2-mph off his bat to third baseman Leonardo Reginatto, who started the double play.

The next thing Contreras knew, he was dancing off the mound celebrating while his Brazilian teammates screamed.

“Now that I look back," Contreras said, “I can see the magnitude of bases loaded, one out. In the moment I was [thinking], “I just have to execute my pitches and just hopefully just get him out somehow. Fly ball. Maybe ground ball. Just force weak contact.'"

Certainly, it grabbed the attention of pro scouts in attendance. If Contreras was ranked 47^th on the MLB.com draft prospect list, they sure want to know who the other 46 players are ahead of him.

“I think it just shows scouts that my stuff plays,” said Contreras, who has a verbal commitment with Vanderbilt. “I just followed my father’s advice. My father told me to keep attacking the zone. He also told me that I show no fear and that I should keep on working with what I've got.

“At the end of the day I need to get more outs or more strikeouts, and that is what's going to help me get to the next level."

And after watching Contreras perform Friday, there’s no doubt in the mind of Judge and other players on the USA team that they’ll be facing him again one day in the big leagues.

“I know I wasn't doing that at that age," Judge said. "Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He's throwing 100 miles an hour. He's facing Team USA, a lot of guys he has seen on TV.

"It was just impressive seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam. And he had some good stuff."

He’ll be going back to reality and high school after Brazil plays its final game in the WBC.

But, oh, will he ever have some stories to tell his buddies back home.

“Can you imagine?" USA starter Logan Webb said. “This guy is throwing a high school game a week ago, and now he’s throwing 98-mph against our lineup. Impressive to watch."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brazil's Joseph Contreras leaves World Baseball Classic in awe at 17

When Oakland Athletics DH Brent Rooker starts the MLB spring training season in Scottsdale, Ariz., the 31-year-old two-time All-Star can look forward to competition both on the field and off.

As the Subpar guest this week, Rooker told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz that he was just coming off a sweet round of 75 — but still got blitzed by his teammate, second baseman Jeff McNeil, who posted a 68.

“I was 3 under through five,” Rooker said, noting that he has never fired a round under par before. “I got nervous early.”

Just how often do MLB players have the chance to play golf during spring training? According to Rooker, quite a bit! He explained the details of how it all works.

“The goal normally is like between 45 and 50 at-bats,” he said of his spring training schedule. “I think there’s like 30 games, so that’s probably 18 or 19 games to get those 45 to 50 at-bats somewhere around there.

News

“Once you’re established and you kind of know your role and you know what you need and you know your routine and what you need to be prepared for the season, it kind of dictates itself a little bit better,” Rooker continued. “Once you’re kind of set and established, you know what you’re doing, it’s just kind of all about getting prepared for the season.”

Rooker said that the A’s organization doesn’t require game attendance during spring training when a player isn’t scheduled to play, and even if you do have to attend, you can leave after the fifth inning, which opens up ample afternoon time for a round.

“I’ve played five times since being out here, so not daily, every other day so far, probably, which, I mean, I hope to keep that pace up,” Rooker said. “Obviously, I’m by myself right now, my wife and kids come out sporadically in spring training, so when they’re here, no golf unfortunately. But when they’re not here, I try to take advantage of whatever afternoons I can.”

For more from Rooker, including his favorite course and his favorite PGA pro to follow, check out the full episode below.

The post How much golf can MLB players squeeze into spring training? appeared first on Golf.

The Cincinnati Reds will venture over to Surprise, Arizona for Saturday’s Cactus League action, the Kansas City Royals playing host for the day. The Royals will be starting veteran left-hander Kris Bubic, and perhaps with that in mind manager Terry Francona has rolled out a starting lineup featuring a lone left-handed hitter (TJ Friedl) to start the day.

Hat-tip to Redleg Nation’s Doug Gray for relaying the travel roster for the day, one that features red-hot regulars Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart in the heart of the lineup.

Fellow lefty Nick Lodolo will start for Cincinnati on the day, doing so now with a potential Opening Day start in his crosshairs with fellow starter Hunter Greene sidelined indefinitely with elbow stiffness. As things look at the moment, Greene will almost certainly not be ready to go on Day One, leaving the likes of Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Brady Singer the most obvious candidates to get the honor.

In Lodolo’s first (and only, so far) start of Cactus League play, he fired a pair of scoreless IP with 4 K, nary a walk, and a pair of scattered hits, though that did come against the lowly Chicago White Sox. On Saturday, he’ll get the chance to show even more against a more potent Royals club even though their star, Bobby Witt, Jr., is away with Team USA playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Old friends Jonathan India, Brandon Drury, and Kevin Newman are in the starting lineup today for the Royals.

First pitch is set for the usual 3:05 PM ET, though there is once again no televised feed. Reds radio will be there for your ears, however, on 1360 WSAI.